The present invention relates to a portable pulling iron and more particularly pertains to enabling cable to be extended through a conduit between manholes.
Most of the transit companies in the country are very old. Underground cable is installed through manholes and conduits. Most manholes were constructed with permanent pulling irons between 80 and 100 years ago. Today, most of these permanent pulling irons have decayed to the point where they are unusable. Thus, there is a need for replacement pulling irons which can accomplish these tasks.
The present invention seeks to provide a solution to the abovementioned problem by utilizing a portable pulling iron that can be installed on the floor or wall of the manhole for the attachment of a pulley so cable can be pulled through a conduit between two manholes.
The use of pulling devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, pulling devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of pulling items through underground conduits are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,663 to Lasak discloses a cable pulling eye for securing a cable for pulling through an underground conduit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,880 to Devis discloses a device for tightening and pulling a wire to facilitate the splicing of broken wires. U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,123 to Woelkers discloses a pulling device comprised of an elongated strip. U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,980 to Pennypacker discloses a pulling iron enclosure.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, these patents do not describe a portable pulling iron for enabling cables to be extended through a conduit between manholes.
In this respect, the portable pulling iron according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling cable to be extended through a conduit between manholes.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved portable pulling iron which can be used for enabling cable to be extended through a conduit between manholes. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.